Q&A for How to Play With Your Betta Fish

You can put a variety of items in the tank, but check that they're made for fish. Choose items that are non-toxic and able to be cleaned. Don't put anything in the tank that will fall apart in water.

Yes! Tapping on a fish tank can scare your fish and make it feel insecure. In some cases, the fish might experience shock and could even die.

A happy and healthy betta fish will have clear eyes, untethered fins, and it will enjoy eating its food.

Of course you can! You can use anything that is big enough so the Betta cannot swallow it and will not contaminate the water. Use your imagination to play with the Betta, but don't make toys the Betta will not like, may swallow, or contaminates the water for safety purposes.

Female betta fish tolerate the presence of other females, much better than a male tolerates other males. You can either care for a female in a solitary tank (as for males) or try her with other females. But be prepared to keep them separately if they do fight.

The male Betta builds a bubble raft and the female releases eggs which the male hides in the air bubble raft. A lone female that lays eggs may well eat what she produces.

No, this is not okay for a betta fish. Betta fish need a lot of space to swim around and if you are keeping more than one together, this is even more important to allow them to keep their distance from each other. A bowl is just too small for a betta fish and it will quickly grow bored, listless and may become stressed and develop an illness if kept this way. Get a large tank so your betta fish can stay healthy and happy.

It is not a good idea to pet your fish. Touching the fish could stress it and cause it to bite you. Petting can remove the natural slime coating on the fish, which can weaken its natural defense. And you might transfer bacteria to the fish from your fingers without knowing. Keep playing with the finger follow trick on the outside of the tank, as your fish will continue to enjoy that but don't try to pet it.

Betta fish do not get lonely. However, because they’re a smart fish, they do get bored easily in a small and dull tank environment. It is important to provide your betta with a large aquarium that has plenty of plants and hiding spots. And in some decorations (safe ones, and not too many). Enriching the betta fish’s environment will help your betta to enjoy itself without getting bored.

A betta fish should not be touched; it may get spooked and respond by biting you or becoming afraid of you (which would undo any training and playing you’ve been doing to get it used to you). Touching a fish can also affect the natural slime coating by removing it and if this happens, the fish is vulnerable to disease. Finally, if your hands are dirty, you could transfer bacteria to the fish. For these three important reasons, it is strongly recommended that you do not touch a betta fish. Instead, try training it to follow your finger from outside the tank.

Betta fish are smart and can be trained to perform a few small tricks, like following your finger around a tank. For help with training ideas and processes, check out the wikiHow: How to Train Your Betta Fish for full details. This article will help you to prepare your betta for training and offer some trick choices for you to try.

Yes, it is quite possible for a betta fish to begin recognizing their owner over time. They are a smart fish and if they are fed by you all the time, they’ll come to recognize you as that "nice being that gives them nutritious food." You can use this recognition ability to train them to do tricks, if you wish.

Put your face near the tank so it knows it is you. In time you may find that your betta fish swims towards you once it sees that it is you.

Yes, but don't use soap as the residue is bad for the fish. Just clean your hands with warm water. If you have used soap recently, hold off on reaching in for a bit, and rinse your hands again thoroughly.

Over time, the fish will get used to you. Remember to take good care of your betta and it'll be comfortable around you. Don't tap the glass or pet it, it will scare the fish, also don't play loud music near the fish, as loud vibrations are a way that fish sense tsunamis.

It's important that your tank is large enough for your betta to move around in. You can exercise your betta by placing a food flake or pellet on the end of a red toothpick and hand feeding him first from one side of the tank and then the other. He will learn to swim back and forth to get the food.

If by angry, you mean that it is flaring at you, then no worries. He is probably showing off for you. If he is acting scared of you, make sure that he sees you when he's fed, and don't touch him. Betta fish don't like being petted because your fingers rub off their protective slime coat. Meanwhile, don't chase him or do anything to scare him. If you need to get him out of the tank for a water change, use the cup you bought him in. To minimize stress when reintroducing, acclimate him slowly.

Yes you can, but frozen worms from a pet store are better for a betta. Make sure the insects are alive, and not exposed to poisons.

This means that you and Bella are creating a bond. Once your fish recognizes you it will be easier to bond and do tricks with them.

Unless you have a huge tank or if it's temporary for breeding, no. They will fight each other. In the wild, the loser of a fight is chased away and no one dies, but with territories of up to one square meter and about 1.5 foot deep, the loser needs space to go afterwards. If your tank isn't large enough, then in the winner's mind, the loser is still intruding in his territory, and they will keep fighting.

Most people feed bettas three pellets in the morning and three at night because the pellets expand in their stomachs.

Betta fish know the difference between daytime and nighttime, and they will sleep at night.

Any good pet store will see the items that help with caring for fish. These are availible at some online stores too.

It may recognize you if you talk to it or spend time with it. Many owners report that fish will swim over to them. Touching it or poking the glass will not help your relationship, though.

You can't exactly make your betta fish "loyal", but you can make him respond to your presence more. Whenever the time comes to feed him, wait until he notices you, then give him some food after he sees you. Do this every day.

As many as you want, as long as it doesn't crowd the swimming space.

Sometimes a fish thinks that a finger is food. But "bite" is a bit of a strong word – it tickles and doesn't hurt. The betta fish doesn't have teeth.

Only if it's more than 5 minutes at a time. Remember it's okay for fish to look at their reflection if you want them to flare, but not too often.

If your betta is grown up, females will have a small white spot on their "chin" called an ovipositor.

Betta fish can live up to 7 years if well cared for, but the average life span of a Betta is generally 4 to 5 years.